Home
by RisingXxLawliet
Summary: Anise didn't know what home was, nor what a family was after her brother mysteriously disappeared three years ago. Will Edward, Alphonse, and Winry be able to show her the meaning of home and protect her as she secretly searches for her lost brother? AlphonseOC, EdWin
1. Chapter 1

_**This is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction and my second story with more than one chapter. (The first story with multiple chapters was a Bleach fanfict that I deleted due to reasons posted on my profile). :D Hopefully I will complete this fanfict, unless some random event causes me to discontinue it. So, without further ado, I give you Home, a AlphonseOC Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the manga/anime's concepts or characters. I only own the OC, Anise.**_

_Chapter 1_

A young 5 year-old Edward Elric adorned in a salmon-colored T-shirt and dark blue shorts searched desperately to find his brother.

"Al! Alphonse, where are you?" he cried, worried for his younger sibling. Alphonse had never wandered Risembool without him and though Edward doubted that his brother would get lost, he was afraid that Al had run into trouble. After all, Alphonse had been missing for the last 2 hours. Edward ran across the grassy plains and stopped occasionally to ask neighbors if they had seen his brother. The sun slowly sank in the horizon as Ed looked for Alphonse and Edward got more worried as the sky turned darker.

"Alphonse!" he hollered again.

"Brother! I'm over here!" Edward heard in reply. Edward ran in the direction of his brother and found Al sitting happily behind large, overgrown bushes. Al wore a light teal T-shirt paired with dark brown shorts. Edward stared at his blonde-haired brother exasperated.

"Al! I've been looking for you everywhere! What have you been doing?" Edward asked, frowning. Al grinned, excited.

"I made a new friend!" Alphonse replied cheerfully, his golden eyes lighting up. Edward raised an eyebrow before noticing the sleeping little girl laying against a nearby tree. Her wavy brown hair fell loosely around her shoulders, curling prettily at the ends. She had a pale round face and light pink lips that gave soft, sleepy breaths. She was clothed in a baggy brown T-shirt and tan capri pants, with a large burlap sack on her back.

"...Who is she?" Edward asked, having never seen her before in his life. He kept his voice low, not wanting to wake the girl.

"Her name's Anise," Alphonse told his brother. "She's a really heavy sleeper." Edward stared at her for a while longer before turning to his brother.

"Well...Mom wanted us back home before dark so we have to go now," Edward stated, watching as Al's face fell.

"B-but I promised to keep her safe until she woke up!" Al said, glancing nervously from his brother to Anise. Edward thought for a moment, fiddling with his short, blonde strands of hair.

"Well, do you know where she lives?" Edward asked, staring at the cute girl's slumbering face. Al fiddled with his small fingers, looking to the ground.

"...I don't know. She said she's traveling.." Al didn't want to leave Anise by herself after he promised to watch her and turned to Edward with a pleading look on his face. "...Could we bring her home? She'll be hungry when she wakes up," Al asked. Edward sighed before giving a short nod.

"I guess. I mean, she doesn't seem scary." Al's face immediately lit up at his brother's words.

"Yay! This is exciting. We're having dinner at Winry's, right? Let's go!" With that said, Al carried a still-sleeping Anise up piggy-back style with the help of Edward, Al stumbling a bit as he walked due the awkward body on his back. Alphonse turned his head around to face the girl on his back. Her head rested on his small shoulder and he could feel her soft breaths on his neck.

"You know, Brother, she's really light..." Alphonse said. Edward shrugged at Al's words.

"She's just a little girl, Al. She can't be any older than you. Of course she's light." Al still wasn't convinced at Ed's words. She seemed much too light, despite her glowing face. He let the subject drop, though, and the two brothers began the walk home.

xxx

Anise woke to the smell of grass and wheat, finding herself inhaling someone's scent. She lifted her head up lazily to discover that she was being carried by Alphonse, the kind boy she had met while on the road. Noticing that she had woken up, Alphonse smiled.

"Oh, you're awake," he stated, loud enough for the boy beside him to hear. Alphonse let her down from his back and she stared strangely at the new boy. "Oh! This is my brother, Edward," Al told her. "We're bringing you to dinner... Would you like to stay for dinner?" Alphonse asked kindly. Anise nodded.

"Yes, please." As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly and the brothers sweat dropped. As they headed to the Elric house, Ed spoke up.

"Your name's Anise, right? Aren't you a bit...little to travel by yourself?" Edward asked. Anise stared at Ed blankly.

"Who are you to question my size?" she retorted, avoiding the real question. Alphonse immediately dived to hold Edward back as the latter kicked and punched the air.

"DON'T CALL ME SHORT!" Ed fumed, steam practically blowing out of his ears as his cheeks turned a deep, angry red. Anise just smiled at Edward, moving so that her face was right in front of his. Alphonse watched on nervously as he slowly released Edward, hoping that his brother wouldn't suddenly attack Anise. Edward frowned at the closeness before realizing,

"Wait - You're shorter than me!" Edward yelled with glee in his voice. He smirked as he placed a hand on Anise's head, ruffling her hair. "Hey, Pipsqueak, you have to listen to me because I'm taller than you!" Anise continued to stare at Edward blankly before her stomach rumbled again. Ignoring Edward's outcry, Anise turned to his younger brother.

"So...Food?" she asked, embarrassed. Al simply chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, we're almost there," Al told her reassuringly, pointing at Winry and Aunt Pinako's house, barely visible in the fading light. "We'll be eating at our friend's house today. Her name's Winry Rockbell and we call her grandma Aunt Pinako." Just then, a light began to flicker from Winry's balcony, a guiding path to their destination. Anise watched as Ed's face was overcome with delight and Ed began running towards the house.

"Al! Anise! C'mon, hurry up!" Edward yelled to the two of them before he ran down the road towards the flashing light. Al laughed before grabbing Anise's small hand, pulling it slightly.

"Let's go, Anise!" he said excitedly. Anise stared at him for a moment before a large smile appeared on her face. Al couldn't help but notice how much cuter she looked with a real smile.

"Yeah, let's go!" Anise replied.

_**xxx**_

_**Although not much happened other than an introduction to the OC Anise, please tell me what you think and/or give me suggestions for future chapters! Constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you for reading so far and I hope you will stick around to read the other chapters when I update! :D**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**So here's the second chapter :D I hope you all like it, despite this chapter still being an introduction of sorts.**_

_**Tachi Tsuki un: Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy this chapter. :D**_

_**Maria J Harper: Thank you for your reviews! I've alter some of the dialogue to hopefully make the brothers sound more like their age - I understood that age consistency would be a problem for me as I never really write speech for young characters unless they are extremely mature children. Your advice was very helpful, so again, thank you!  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the manga/anime's concepts or characters. I only own the OC, Anise.**_

_Chapter 2_

Al ran hand-in-hand with Anise down to the Rockbell house, where Ed was waiting for them impatiently. By this time, the flashing light had stopped blinking and instead the front door opened to reveal a pretty little blonde girl with short hair reaching her shoulders. She wore a long-sleeved baby pink shirt under red overalls. She was followed by a small black and white barking dog, who ran in circles around the group.

"About time you two got back!" she yelled before noticing Anise next to Al. The blonde girl blinked before descending the stairs and giving Anise a soft smile. "Hi, nice to meet you! My name's Winry Rockbell and I'm going to be the best automail mechanic in Risembool, next to my grandma!" Winry leaned down and picked up the barking dog. "And this is Den. Say 'hello,' Den!" Den barked excitedly at Winry's words. Anise petted the small dog, who licked her hand affectionately.

"I'm Anise. Alphonse asked me to stay for dinner tonight. Is that okay?" Winry beamed at Anise's words after giving Al a discreet knowing look to which Al blushed.

"Yeah, that's great! Come on in!" Winry took Anise by the hand, excitedly dragging the poor girl up the stairs and into the house. Ed and Al entered much more carefully, greeting Aunt Pinako who was being introduced to a blushing Anise.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Anise. Don't be a stranger, alright? Any friend of Edward and Alphonse is welcome here," Aunt Pinako told Anise as the old woman smoked her pipe. Anise grinned nervously.

"Thanks, but I have to go after this," Anise replied softly. Right as the old woman was about to respond, there was a light knock on the door and a tall brunette woman entered, looking an awful lot like Edward and Alphonse. Anise's suspicions were confirmed when the two boys ran to the woman, clinging onto her waist.

"Mom!" the two yelled in unison, happily embracing their mother. Their mom smiled, hugging them back.

"Did you two have fun today?" Mrs. Elric asked. Her chocolate-colored hair gently curved against her sweet face as she gave both the boys a kiss on the forehead. Edward let go of his mother, crossing his arms.

"No! I had to go look for Al because he ran off! Then I found out that he was playing in the fields with some girl!" Ed ranted, pouting. Their mother turned to Al curiously.

"Oh, is that a new friend of yours, Alphonse?" she questioned, having never heard of an 'Anise' before. Alphonse nodded with a large grin on his face.

"Yup! Her name's Anise! She's staying for dinner, see?" Alphonse gestured to a quiet Anise across the room.

Anise couldn't help but think how beautiful Ed and Al's mother was as she made eye contact with her. Mrs. Elric's hair had a lovely shine to it, her skin was fair and blemish-free, and her heart-shaped face was gentle and kind, radiating a motherly glow.

"Hello Mrs. Elric," Anise greeted, feeling self-concious. If only she was as beautiful as Mrs. Elric. Smiling, Mrs. Elric crossed the room and kneeled down to Anise's short height, allowing Anise to see Mrs. Elric's dark brown eyes clearly.

"Why hello there, Sweetie. You can call me Trisha. I feel too old to be called 'Mrs. Elric,'" Trisha stated, smiling softly as Anise. Anise nodded.

"Okay, Mrs. Trisha," Anise replied, adding 'Mrs.' respectfully. She felt that calling an adult by his or her first name was too informal. Trisha turned to Alphonse who had made his way to a bar stool, swinging his feet softly.

"Now, Alphonse, next time I want you to tell either me or your brother where you are going or else we'll get worried, alright?" Trisha asked firmly with a slight frown on her face, though her words rang more like a demand. Alphonse nodded.

"Okay, sorry Mom. Sorry Brother," Al said, upset that he had worried his family. Trisha's eyes then softened and she went to ruffle Al's hair.

"And also, bring Edward along to play with you, or else he'll become jealous when he sees you playing with someone else, without being invited along himself," Trisha stated, teasing Edward. Edward turned red at his mother's words.

"What? I-I don't get jealous! E-Especially not of Anise!" Ed stuttered, embarrassed. Everyone simply laughed and eventually Ed began laughing too.

After a bit of conversing, everyone sat down for dinner, Trisha and Pinako sitting at the heads of the rectangle table while the little boys and girls sat together on either sides. Winry brought over the drinks and took her seat next to Anise after handing small bottles of milk to the kids and glasses of iced tea to the adults. Edward and Anise both glared at the drink, and while the latter chose not to comment, Edward grumbled,

"I hate milk." Trisha sighed as Winry narrowed her eyes.

"Edward, you need to drink milk in order to grow. You don't want to stay little forever now, do you?" Trisha questioned, fully aware of the coming rant from her son.

"But milk is gross! It's a white, suspicious, foul liquid that comes from a farm animal! Why would I want to drink a liquid that comes from a cow?" Edward ranted, calmer than usual due to the presence of his mother. Trisha sighed before looking to Anise.

"Well Anise likes to drink milk so that she will grow, right?" Trisha suggested, trying to prove a point to Edward. Anise fidgeted nervously before saying,

"I don't like milk either." Anise stated this quietly, hoping not to upset Trisha or Aunt Pinako and Winry. Trisha just blinked at Anise comically before sighing for the umpteenth time that night.

"Alphonse, Winry, do you two still like to drink milk?" Trisha asked. When they both nodded, Trisha said, "Well, that's good enough for me." Aunt Pinako shook her head before launching into a speech about the importance of milk and how milk helps strengthen bones, during which everyone dug into their delicious and steaming dinner plate of chicken, rice, and peas.

Alphonse snuck a peek at Anise across from the table, who was sipping at her newly-acquired water and half-listening to Aunt Pinako's rant.

"-ame fiery midgets. And that's why you two need to drink milk!" Aunt Pinako finished after ranting for 5 minutes.

"Hey, Anise, you said you were traveling. Where are you traveling to?" Alphonse asked suddenly, making Anise look up surprised. Everyone's interest piqued and the dinner group turned to Anise for an answer.

"Oh, umm...I'm going to see my uncle in a different town. It's pretty far away," Anise lied. She was met with piercing stares.

"Oh? And what town is that?" Aunt Pinako asked, pulling out her pipe and lighting it. Anise knotted her hands tightly together under the table, something she always did when she got nervous.

"Um, Jaymers Cove," Anise replied.

"Why didn't your uncle arrange a ride for you if the town is so far away?" Aunt Pinako asked, smoking her pipe.

"Oh, um, that's because...He's umm...poor," she finished lamely.

Anise looked down, trying not to meet anyone's eyes but failed when Alphonse's golden orbs captured her brown ones. He could see her instant terror and immediately knew that she was lying, same as everyone else at the table.

"Anise, could you please tell us what is really going on?" Trisha asked the girl pleadingly. Trisha's motherly instincts were kicking in and she wanted to help Anise in any way she could. Anise's shoulders slumped in defeat and she sunk a bit in her seat.

"I need to find my brother. I'm orphaned and if _they_ find me, I'll be put into foster care and I'll never find him," Anise admitted, speaking softly. She felt like she could trust the Elrics and Rockbells, despite knowing them for such a short time; however, the fear in her eyes told that she had a lingering worry that she would be exposed to the public.

Anise stared at her interlaced fingers, her grip turning her already-pale hands even whiter. Abandoning her half-eaten dinner, Trisha got up and picked up Anise before sitting back in her chair and pulling Anise into her lap. Anise didn't struggle but still refused to look at Trisha, covering her face with her long brown hair; she didn't want Trisha to see her watery eyes.

"Anise, Sweetie, why don't you stay with me and Edward and Alphonse for now until we can find your brother?" Trisha suggested, not prying for anymore answers about Anise's situation. Right now, Anise came first. Anise whipped her small head up to look at Trisha.

"Wait, what?" Anise asked, thinking she heard Trisha wrong. Trisha gave a sad smile at Anise, who was wide-eyed and looked like she was going to shatter.

"Come home with us, Dearest. Stay with us and we'll protect you," Trisha told Anise softly. Tears finally fell and ran down Anise's cheeks freely. Anise buried her face in Trisha's neck and repeated,

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Edward looked over at Alphonse to see his reaction and was surprised to see that his brother was staring at Anise with a kind smile on his face.

_ I will protect her._

**_xxx  
_**

_**Thanks for reading so far! The actual plot might take a few chapters or more to start, as I first need to build Anise's relationship with the Elrics and the Rockbells, so please understand that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please give me suggestions for future chapters or just tell me whether you enjoy the story or not so far (though it's probably too early on to tell ^_^;). Constructive criticism is welcome. :)**  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Here's Chapter 3! :) Thank you very much for the reviews! They were very helpful. School has started again (break has ended) so I'll try to update as often as I can. Please bear with me, as the beginning chapters are obviously pretty slow. Thanks and I hope you enjoy :D**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the manga/anime's concepts or characters. I only own the OCs.**_

_Chapter 3_

Anise woke up to the smell of cooking bacon and rolled over to see the soft light of morning peeking through the windows. She sat up and looked to the left of the plain wooden room to notice the absence of Ed and Al, their bed already made and tidy.

The night before, Trisha had brought Anise to the Elric home and offered for Anise to sleep in her room with her. Not wanting to intrude on her, Anise had declined, stating that she would be fine sleeping on the couch in the living room; however, Trisha wouldn't have it. After much dispute that Trisha was a grown adult and needed her single bed to herself, it was decided that Anise would sleep in Ed and Al's room, with the brothers sleeping in a bed together since they were small enough to still be comfortable sharing a bed.

Anise wore a large orange T-shirt and gray shorts as her night clothes, which were some the few clothing articles that she had brought along with her in her burlap sack. She let her small, tender toes hit the hardwood floor as she hopped out of bed and began tidying the white sheets.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened to reveal Edward, still clad in his night clothes consisting of a white shirt and black shorts. His short hair was slightly messy, but his blonde antenna poked out as it always did. He smiled when he saw she was awake.

"Morning. Food's ready," Edward informed her, to which she nodded gratefully.

"G'morning. Hold on," Anise replied. She fixed the blankets before leaving the room with Ed. Ed sprinted down the wooden stairs while Anise took a much safer approach, quietly and slowly descending the steps. She ran a few fingers through her mud-colored hair, trying to get rid of the knots. Anise's mouth watered as she breathed in the delicious smell of Trisha's cooking, which was being transferred onto plates by Trisha herself. Trisha smiled at Anise, handing her a small child's dish piled with scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausages.

"Good morning, Anise. I hope you slept well?" Trisha asked. Anise nodded. For the past few days, she had been sleeping in ditches and against shady trees.

"MmmHmm. Thank you very much, Ms. Trisha," Anise in a soft, high voice. Trisha smiled.

"So polite! Now why aren't you boys as polite as Anise here?" Trisha asked Ed and Al, who were eating their breakfasts at the table already. Anise moved to the table and took a seat across from Al.

"I'm better than Anise, Mom!" Edward exclaimed, talking with his mouth full of eggs.

"Edward, if you want to prove that you're more polite than Anise, don't talk with your mouth full," Trisha scolded as she joined them at the table. Ed was quiet after that and the four of them had a peaceful breakfast.

xxx

After breakfast, the children washed up and Trisha allowed them to play outside, minus Anise who Trisha needed to speak to.

"It may be a while until you find your brother, so I think it's best that I enroll you in school," Trisha told Anise who looked less than impressed.

"I'll find my brother soon. I don't need to go to school!" Anise argued, her cheeks flushed and a pout on her pink lips. Anise crossed her small arms and turned away from Trisha on the couch. Trisha sighed and turned Anise to face her again, the latter frustrated.

"Anise, honey, I'm sure your brother would want you to have a good education, don't you agree?" Trisha asked softly. Anise was silent for a moment before replying.

"My brother already taught me how to read and write. Isn't that enough?" Anise asked. Trisha stared at Anise, shocked.

"You can already read and write? You can't be any more that 3 years-old!" Trisha stated in disbelief. Anise looked at Trisha curiously.

"I'm 4," Anise corrected, "and my brother says I'm advanced for my age," Anise finished, testing her brother's words on her tongue. Trisha blinked before crossing the room and pulling out a 6 year-old level children's book from a shelve. Anise stared at Trisha curiously as the latter returned with the book.

"If you can read this to me perfectly, you don't have to attend school for another year, okay?" Trisha told her. Anise nodded. It sounded fair enough to her. Anise opened the book, lightly clearing her throat before beginning.

"Jojo the rabbit skipped through the meadow. He was going to Harry the hamster's den for Harry's birthday party. Jojo had a problem. He didn't have a present for Harry yet..." Anise quickly read the book and finished without having to stop for any pronunciation difficulties. Trisha was shocked.

"Well, it seems that you have completed my task. But I still want you studying at home, alright? Education is important." Anise nodded at Trisha's request.

"Okay, Ms. Trisha," Anise replied before hopping off the couch. "Can I go outside and play now?" Trisha nodded.

"Don't stray too far and make sure you and the boys are back inside for lunch!" Trisha reminded as Anise pulled on her trainers and headed to the door. Anise gave a soft smile and nodded.

"Yes, Ms. Trisha!"

Anise proceeded to exit the house, finding herself faced with a vacant yard. She chewed on her lip, walking around aimlessly as she tried to find the Elric brothers and maybe even Winry. She stuck to her promise to Trisha and made sure that she was still able to see the house clearly as she wandered the grassy fields. Anise walked past a line of bushes when all of a sudden a hand caught her ankle and she was pulled behind a bush. Anise turned to the offender, prepared to scream, until she realized that it was just Alphonse. He held a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to be silent. Anise was about to speak out against this, when she heard footsteps.

"Winry, let's split up and look for Al! I'm not going to lose to him again!" the unmistakable voice of Edward called.

"Yeah, alright," a high-pitched feminine voice, Winry's, replied. The footsteps slowly faded away and Al turned to Anise.

"We're playing hide and seek. I didn't want you to join their side. I love winning this game!" Al told her cheerfully. Anise rolled her eyes but laughed nonetheless.

"Okay then. Are you gonna stay here?" Anise asked curiously. Alphonse nodded.

"Yeah. And you're here, so I won't get bored," Al told her. He then laid on his back and looked up at the sky. Anise joined him and did the same. "What's your brother like?" Al asked suddenly. Anise pondered over his question for a moment before responding.

"He's really nice and fun. He's 10 years-old and is really smart!" Anise answered. "And he's cool-looking too!" Al laughed at Anise's enthusiasm as she described her brother.

"You must really love him," Al commented. Anise nodded.

"He always takes care of me and plays with me when he has time. He's the best big brother ever!" she said, smiling as she remembered her brother. "I can't wait until I can see him again."

"What's his name?" Al asked, in case he ever stumbled upon any news of her brother. Anise grinned.

"Skye Howell. And I'm Anise Howell," she informed him. "He looks like me but older and he's a boy..." Al giggled, picturing Anise as a boy. He imagined a frowning little brunette boy in over-sized, baggy clothing. Anise pouted.

"What's so funny?" Anise asked. Al shook his head.

"Nothing!" he chirped.

"What is it?" she pressed. Al laughed harder at her upset state, as she resembled the frowning boy in his mind. "Al!"

"You-" Al started before he was interrupted.

"Al! There you are!" Edward's blonde antenna was seen bouncing from behind the bush and the two stood to see that Edward had an accomplished look on his face. "I found you! So that means I win!" Edward cheered. Winry ran over to them, hearing Edward's loud voice.

"Anise, you're here too?" Winry asked, surprised. Edward nodded at Winry.

"Yeah, I heard Anise yell at Al and I ran towards her voice," Edward stated. Anise turned to Al nervously at Edward's words. Al narrowed his eyes and Anise took that as a signal to run. She sprinted toward the Elric house, Al quickly chasing after her.

"ANISE!"

_**xxx**_

_**Thank you for reading. Again, please bear with me through the slowness and suggestions for any filler chapters, improvement, etc. are appreciated as well. :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I'm not sure what my updating schedule for this fanfiction will be-I'm pretty involved in the school so I have to stay after school a lot and sometimes get up early. Also, none of these chapters are pre-written, so I'm just writing them as I upload them. I'll try my hardest to get a new chapter up every two weeks, but no promises (latest I will update is once a month). Thank you and enjoy :D**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the manga/anime's concepts or characters. I only own the OC, Anise.**_

_Chapter 4_

Anise played with small animal figurines as she waited for Ed, Al, and Winry to return from school. She quickly lost interest in the wooden toys and began roaming the house, looking for Trisha. She knocked on Trisha's bedroom door, but there was no answer. Opening it, Anise noticed the empty bed and began searching through the house for her.

"Ms. Trisha!" Anise called in a high voice. She pouted, knowing that Trisha was home; Anise had been next to the front door all day and the back door made a loud creak when opened. She huffed in annoyance and began marching through the house when she stopped at a slightly-opened "closet" door. Anise looked at it curiously and peeked through the gap. Her eyes widened, realizing that the room was in fact, not a closet.

Bookcases lined the dusty room, barely any sunlight shining through the nearly-covered window. Notes were sprawled across the floor, strange symbols drawn on them. A single wooden desk was placed in the corner of the room, stacks of paper and folders on the desk obviously untouched for years. Trisha's hand ran across the wooden chair beside the desk, but Anise couldn't see Trisha's face due to the lack of light.

While Anise wanted to call out to Trisha, she decided against it, leaving Trisha to her privacy. The room had given Anise shivers, like she didn't belong there, and Anise eventually took custody in her and the Elric brothers' room. She sat on her bed, swinging her small feet off of the edge. Was the room a study, perhaps? And if so, who studied there? Questions rang in Anise's mind, but the little girl couldn't find an answer. She was brought back to reality by the door opening. Anise turned to see Trisha enter the room. The mother of two smiled at Anise, sitting beside her on the bed.

"So how are you today, Anise?" Trisha asked kindly. She looked lovely as ever, and Anise shuddered to think that such a beautiful person could be cooped up in that creepy room.

"I'm good, thank you," Anise replied politely. "When will Ed, Al, and Winry be home?" she asked, not mentioning the room. Trisha looked to the clock beside the bed.

"They should be back in around ten more minutes," Trisha told her. "They're probably on their way home right now." Anise grinned.

"Can I go meet them outside?" Anise questioned, to which Trisha nodded.

"Of course, but make sure you stick to the path, okay?" Trisha reminded. Anise nodded and hopped off of the bed, hurrying downstairs.

After pulling on her shoes and exiting the home, Anise began walking towards the stone bridge that she had seen her three friends cross on their way to school. Keeping her promise to Trisha, she followed the path and eventually made it to the bridge. Her short brown hair flew in odd directions thanks to the wind and she sat on the edge of the bridge, waiting for her friends to arrive. Not a minute later, she heard the sound of footsteps against stone, and she turned excitedly. Her face fell as she realized that the newcomers were not Ed, Al, or Winry.

Before her stood four young boys who looked a couple years older than her. Anise didn't pay mind to their appearances, other than the scowls on their faces.

"Hey, move it! You're in our way!" one of them exclaimed at Anise. Anise raised an eyebrow, re-looking where she was sitting on the edge of the bridge.

"No, I'm not," she replied, staring at them curiously. Her words caused the boys' frowns to deepen.

"Yes, you are! Now move it, stupid!" another yelled. Anise frowned, standing.

"Don't call me that. You don't even know me." The boys responded by snickering.

"All girls are stupid! We know that!" Anise stepped off of the bridge, scooping up a glob of mud near the river. She threw it at one of the boys, smearing his face with mud.

"Girls aren't stupid, stupid," she stated. The boy's face turned red under the mud and he pushed her to the ground before she could react. She cried out as a sharp rock cut her arm, drawing blood. Noticing blood, the boys looked at each other, startled, before running off. Anise sat on the ground, eyes watering. The wound wasn't deep; however, it still stung pretty badly.

More footsteps were heard, though Anise didn't turn to check who it was this time.

"Anise!" she heard, finally looking up to see her three friends running towards her. Anise quickly wiped her eyes, sniffling.

"H-hi," she greeted, attempting to smile but failing. Winry was the first to kneel down next to her, followed by the Elric brothers.

"Are you okay?" the blonde-haired girl asked. Edward scoffed beside Winry

"Of course she's not! She's bleeding!" Edward exclaimed. Alphonse helped Anise up.

"Here, let's get you home so that Mom can help you," Al said. Anise nodded, not saying much as they headed to the Elric house.

Trisha was waiting for them at the door, shocked when she noticed Anise's wound.

"Anise, what happened?!" Trisha asked.

"Oh, um...I fell," she said. They all looked at her unimpressed. Trisha sighed when Anise wouldn't tell her what really happened.

"Alright, fine. Come inside so I can clean that cut. It doesn't look too deep." Anise followed Trisha into the bathroom, while Ed, Al, and Winry sat in the living room. Trisha left momentarily to retrieve the first aid kit, allowing Al to enter the bathroom.

"So, what really happened?" Al asked Anise, concerned and also curious. Anise sighed, playing with her fingers.

"Don't tell anyone, okay? I got into a fight with some boys and I was pushed down," she told him quietly. Al's eyes widened.

"You got into a fight?!" he asked in disbelief. "Over what?!" Anise crossed her arms.

"They said girls were stupid, so I threw mud at them." Her statement shocked Al even more.

"B-but you don't really seem like...the type of person to do that," Al told her. Anise raised an eyebrow.

"I met you only a little while ago," she pointed out. Al scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh, right...Well, I don't think girls are stupid," he said. Anise smiled.

"Good. Or me and Winry will throw mud at you," Anise joked. "But thanks." Al nodded, exiting the bathroom. Trisha reentered with the first aid kit, cleaning Anise's wound.

"It'll be gone in a couple days," Trisha informed. "It'll sting, though." Anise nodded.

"Okay." Anise's stomach growled. "...When's supper?" Trisha laughed.

"I'll start cooking once we have you all patched up."

_**xxx**_

_**I can't wait to get started on the actual plot line- I will later be doing a time skip to when Edward becomes a state alchemist and I'm pretty excited for that. Constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you for reading so far and I hope you will stick around to read the other chapters when I update! Reviews are appreciated! :D**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Please don't kill me. **_**_Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. hehe...Sorry for not updating on time. My only explanation is my insane procrastination and new found addiction to Supernatural...Oh right and school pffft. XD I'm not the best student in the world, but I try...kind of. I would like to thank those that have reviewed the story, favorited it, and/or followed it! Your support is greatly appreciated and keeps me going! :D I do believe I have responded to any comments/suggestions sent in through reviews, and if I have not, please simply send me a PM! Thanks, and without further ado, enjoy chapter 5 of Home!_**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the manga/anime's concepts or characters. I only own the OC, Anise.**_

_Chapter 5_

Anise was at Winry's house, drawing random objects with the young blonde girl.

"What's that?" Anise asked, pointing to Winry's picture. Winry laughed, pushing her paper into Anise's face.

"Look closer, silly!" Winry exclaimed. Anise peered at the drawing, which had what appeared to be a banana and a chocolate pie on it.

"...Lunch is soon, you know," Anise told her. Winry shook her head, laughing.

"It's Ed and Al!" Winry said. Anise blinked, realizing that the "banana" was Edward, while the "chocolate pie" was Alphonse.

"Cool," Anise commented. Winry looked over Anise's shoulder.

"What's that?" she questioned. Anise grinned.

"It's my brother, Skye," Anise proclaimed proudly, pointing to a splat of brown on the paper. It was Winry's turn to blink.

"That looks like the meatloaf we had for supper yesterday," Winry said blankly. Anise scratched the back of her neck.

"I'm not very good at drawing..." she replied, deciding not to give a retort about Winry's lack of artistic ability. Winry was about to reply when Ed and Al entered the house. Anise gave them a smile and a wave. "Aunt Pinako said to give her the apples," Anise said, gesturing to the basket of apples the boys carried. The boys nodded, heading to the kitchen and handing them to Aunt Pinako. Winry hopped out of her seat and Anise followed suit, going to the kitchen as well. When they arrived, they found Aunt Pinako pulling multiple pie crusts out of the oven.

"Oh, there are those apples. You boys took much too long. If you had longer legs, then you'd be able to get to the market faster," Aunt Pinako stated, causing Edward to turn red in anger.

"Who're you calling small, you short old hag?!" Ed exclaimed, glaring daggers at Aunt Pinako. Aunt Pinako calmly stared back at Ed through her glasses.

"I did, you loud midget. Now be quiet if you want some apple pie," Aunt Pinako threatened, beginning to peel the skin away from the apples. Ed went quiet and remained that way, though he was still glaring at Aunt Pinako. Anise giggled.

"Ed must really like apple pie," Anise said to no one in particular. Winry and Alphonse nodded vigorously from beside her.

"Once, Brother won the apple pie eating contest at school!" Al bragged, laughing as he remembered how his brother's face was covered in apple goop. Anise giggled.

"Did you enter too, Al?" Anise questioned, imagining him and Ed rapidly scarfing down pie. Al shook his head.

"I would get a tummy ache from that much pie!" Al exclaimed, causing Anise to laugh. Winry proceeded to help arrange the apples in the pie crust after the apples were sliced by Aunt Pinako. Ed, Al, and Anise followed suit, using spoons to glaze sweet syrup over the apples. From the corner of her eye, Anise could see Edward take a spoonful of the delicious syrup into his mouth. Aunt Pinako looked over at Anise curiously when the young girl paused, and followed the child's line of vision to see Edward's actions. Aunt Pinako walked up behind Edward and smacked his butt with a wooden spoon, causing the boy to yelp.

"What was that for?!" Ed yowled. Aunt Pinako shook her head disapprovingly.

"You are not to eat any of the pies until they are cooked and ready to eat," the old woman scolded. Ed frowned but did as told while Al gave his brother a sympathetic look. Winry shot Edward a look of disapproval while Anise just snickered. Winry leaned over to whisper in Anise's ear,

"He does this all the time – Even when we make birthday cakes." Anise nodded before a thought came to mind.

"When's your birthday?" Anise asked curiously. Winry gave a wide smile before responding.

"June 9th!" the blonde girl exclaimed happily. Anise gave Winry a large grin.

"Ooh, that's coming up soon! I should make you something," Anise said. Winry shook her head.

"You don't have to – I get gifts from the neighbors," Winry replied. It was Anise's turn to shake her head.

"Birthdays are special," Anise stated. "When are Ed and Al's birthdays?" Winry though about the question for a moment before replying,

"Ed's birthday is in February and Al's birthday is in April," Winry said, smiling. Anise nodded.

"I need to remember that…" Anise mused. Anise was lost in a sea of thoughts before being startled out of it by something wet and sticky on her face. Anise blinked, seeing Alphonse in front of her face, holding a spoon. Al laughed, having put syrup on her nose and cheeks; Anise's expression was priceless. "Al!" Anise exclaimed, shocked. Aunt Pinako looked over at the two.

"My, Al, I wouldn't have expected you to do something like this. It's usually your brother," Aunt Pinako said, to which Edward yelled,

"Hey!" Al snickered before licking the syrup off the tip of her nose. His face was red with laughter and Anise flushed, embarrassed.

"Ew, that's gross," Anise said, referring to how Al licked the syrup off. Winry handed Anise a towel and the latter began wiping away the remaining syrup.

"Well if you youngsters are done fooling around, there's a pie to eat," Aunt Pinako spoke up, pulling out one of the pies and neatly cutting it. The children gathered at the table, grinning, and enjoyed the pie.

"Thanks Aunt Pinako!"

_**xxx**_

_**The next chapter, unless I spontaneously come up with a new idea, will be a time skip in order to start the plot line/get the brothers to start alchemy! Constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you for reading so far and I do hope you continue to read/follow this story as I update! :D Have a good day everyone!**_


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